An autonomous vehicle, i.e., a vehicle in which some or all operations conventionally controlled by a human driver are controlled and carried out by components in the vehicle without driver intervention, depends upon maintaining and coordinating key sub-system functions in the event of a failure. For example, relevant failures could include power failures, communication failures and failures of logic devices. A failure to deliver power to a vehicle powertrain, brake sub-system, steering sub-system, etc., along with the resulting failure of vehicle operations, could put a vehicle driver and/or other vehicle occupants at risk. Unfortunately, present mechanisms are lacking for addressing a power failure with respect to one or more sub-systems in an autonomous vehicle.